From Diamonds and Pearls to Gold: Prince to Get Posthumous Congressional Medal

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to discuss Minnesota’s Congressional delegation. They’ve introduced a Revolution–sorry, make that a resolution–to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to pop superstar Prince, citing his “indelible mark on Minnesota and American culture,” according to The Associated Press.

Born Prince Rogers Nelson, the singer, songwriter, arranger, and instrumentalist broke through in the late 1970s with the hits “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?” and “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” and dominated the charts over the following decade with such albums as “1999” and “Sign O’ the Times,” “Graffiti Bridge” and “The Black Album.” But the seven-time Grammy winner is best remembered for the film “Purple Rain” and its soundtrack, which has gone 13x Platinum as certified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) thanks to singles like ″Let’s Go Crazy” and “When Doves Cry” as well as the title track.

The medal is one of the nation’s highest civilian honors and past recipients include George Washington, the Wright Brothers, Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa, the Navajo Code Talkers, the Tuskegee Airmen, and the Dalai Lama.

Nice one Amy!!! ❤️❤️

— Wendy & Lisa (@wendyandlisa) October 25, 2021

“The world is a whole lot cooler because Prince was in it — he touched our hearts, opened our minds, and made us want to dance. With this legislation, we honor his memory and contributions as a composer, performer, and music innovator. Purple reigns in Minnesota today and every day because of him,” said Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who represents the state, in a statement.

He shopped at my mom’s Minneapolis store, March 4th, in the 70’s. My parents attended the recording of Purple Rain @FirstAvenue in ‘83. And this week, I’m helping lead the effort to award a Congressional Gold Medal to a N Mpls, Minnesota, American, and global legend.💜 #Prince pic.twitter.com/eEa2ifcqTd

— Rep. Dean Phillips 🇺🇸 (@RepDeanPhillips) October 26, 2021

Under the rules, Congressional Gold Medals require the support of at least two-thirds of the members of both the Senate and House of Representatives before they can be signed into law by the president. The Prince legislation will be introduced in the House and Senate. If the Gold Medal is approved and made, the bill asks that it be given to the Smithsonian Institution, which should make it available for display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture or on loan.

Prince showed that it was okay to be a short, Black kid from Minneapolis and still change the world.

Today, we led the Minnesota Congressional Delegation with @SenAmyKlobuchar to honor Prince with the Congressional Gold Medal. pic.twitter.com/sa6ffF6Ffz

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— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) October 25, 2021

Prince died April 21, 2016, of an accidental fentanyl overdose at age 57 at his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minnesota.